memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第71章
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2。 No one will be allowed the privileges of a merchant; or; rather; to trade is a privilege which no one should seek of the Government without in like manner acknowledging its supremacy。
3。 If Mr。 Cohen remains in Savannah as a denizen; his property; real and personal; will not be disturbed unless its temporary use be necessary for the military authorities of the city。 The title to property will not be disturbed in any event; until adjudicated by the courts of the United States。
4。 If Mr。 Cohen leaves Savannah under my Special Order No。 148; it is a public acknowledgment that he 〃adheres to the enemies of the United States;〃 and all his property becomes forfeited to the United States。 But; as a matter of favor; he will be allowed to carry with him clothing and furniture for the use of himself; his family; and servants; and will be trans ported within the enemy's lines; but not by way of Port Royal。
These rules will apply to all parties; and from them no exception will be made。
I have the honor to be; general; your obedient servant;
W。 T。 SHERMAN; Major…General。
This letter was in answer to specific inquiries; it is clear; and covers all the points; and; should I leave before my orders are executed; I will endeavor to impress upon my successor; General Foster; their wisdom and propriety。
I hope the course I have taken in these matters will meet your approbation; and that the President will not refund to parties claiming cotton or other property; without the strongest evidence of loyalty and friendship on the part of the claimant; or unless some other positive end is to be gained。
I am; with great respect; your obedient servant;
W。 T。 SHERMAN; Major…General commanding。
CHAPTER XXIII。
CAMPAIGN OF THE CAROLINAS。
FEBRUARY AND MARCH; 1865。
On the 1st day of February; as before explained; the army designed for the active campaign from Savannah northward was composed of two wings; commanded respectively by Major…Generals Howard and Slocum; and was substantially the same that had marched from Atlanta to Savannah。 The same general orders were in force; and this campaign may properly be classed as a continuance of the former。
The right wing; less Corse's division; Fifteenth Corps; was grouped at or near Pocotaligo; South Carolina; with its wagons filled with food; ammunition; and forage; all ready to start; and only waiting for the left wing; which was detained by the flood in the Savannah River。 It was composed as follows:
Fifteenth Corps; Major…General JOHN A。 LOGAN。
First Division; Brigadier…General Charles R。 Woods; Second Division; Major…General W。 B。 Hazen; Third Division; Brigadier…General John E。 Smith; Fourth Division; Brigadier…General John M。 Corse。 Artillery brigade; eighteen guns; Lieutenant…Colonel W。 H。 Ross; First Michigan Artillery。
Seventeenth。 Corps; Major…General FRANK P。 BLAIR; JR。
First Division; Major…General Joseph A。 Mower; Second Division; Brigadier…General M。 F。 Force; Fourth Division; Brigadier…General Giles A。 Smith。 Artillery brigade; fourteen guns; Major A。 C。 Waterhouse; First Illinois Artillery。
The left wing; with Corse's division and Kilpatrick's cavalry; was at and near Sister's Ferry; forty miles above the city of Savannah; engaged in crossing the river; then much swollen。 It
was composed as follows:
Fourteenth Corps; Major…General JEFF。 C。 DAVIS。
First Division; Brigadier…General W。 P。 Carlin; Second Division; Brigadier…General John D。 Morgan; Third Division; Brigadier…General A。 Baird。 Artillery brigade; sixteen guns; Major Charles Houghtaling; First Illinois Artillery。
Twentieth Corps; Brigadier…General A。 S。 WILLIAMS。
First Division; Brigadier…General N。 I。 Jackson; Second Division; Brigadier…General J。 W。 Geary; Third Division; Brigadier…General W。 T。 Ward。 Artillery brigade; Sixteen gnus; Major J。 A。 Reynolds; First New York Artillery。
Cavalry Division; Brigadier…General JUDSON KILPATRICK。
First Brigade; Colonel T。 J。 Jordan; Ninth Pennsylvania Cavalry; Second Brigade; Colonel S。 D。 Atkins; Ninety…second Illinois Vol。; Third Brigade; Colonel George E。 Spencer; First Alabama Cavalry。 One battery of four guns。
The actual strength of the army; as given in the following official tabular statements; was at the time sixty thousand and seventy…nine men; and sixty…eight guns。 The trains were made up of about twenty…five hundred wagons; with six mules to each wagon; and about six hundred ambulances; with two horses each。 The contents of the wagons embraced an ample supply of ammunition for a great battle; forage for about seven days; and provisions for twenty days; mostly of bread; sugar; coffee; and salt; depending largely for fresh meat on beeves driven on the hoof and such cattle; hogs; and poultry; as we expected to gather along our line of march。
RECAPITULATION…CAMPAIGN OF THE CAROLINAS。
February 1。 March 1。 April 1。 April 10 Pers: 60;079 57;676 81;150 88;948
The enemy occupied the cities of Charleston and Augusta; with garrisons capable of making a respectable if not successful defense; but utterly unable to meet our veteran columns in the open field。 To resist or delay our progress north; General Wheeler had his division of cavalry (reduced to the size of a brigade by his hard and persistent fighting ever since the beginning of the Atlanta campaign); and General Wade Hampton had been dispatched from the Army of Virginia to his native State of South Carolina; with a great flourish of trumpets; and extraordinary powers to raise men; money; and horses; with which 〃to stay the progress of the invader;〃 and 〃to punish us for our insolent attempt to invade the glorious State of South Carolina!〃 He was supposed at the time to have; at and near Columbia; two small divisions of cavalry commanded by himself and General Butler。
Of course; I had a species of contempt for these scattered and inconsiderable forces; knew that they could hardly delay us an hour; and the only serious question that occurred to me was; would General Lee sit down in Richmond (besieged by General Grant); and permit us; almost unopposed; to pass through the States of South and North Carolina; cutting off and consuming the very supplies on which he depended to feed his army in Virginia; or would he make an effort to escape from General Grant; and endeavor to catch us inland somewhere between Columbia and Raleigh? I knew full well at the time that the broken fragments of Hood's army (which had escaped from Tennessee) were being hurried rapidly across Georgia; by Augusta; to make junction in my front; estimating them at the maximum twenty…five thousand men; and Hardee's; Wheeler's; and Hampton's forces at fifteen thousand; made forty thousand; which; if handled with spirit and energy; would constitute a formidable force; and might make the passage of such rivers as the Santee and Cape Fear a difficult undertaking。 Therefore; I took all possible precautions; and arranged with Admiral Dahlgren and General Foster to watch our progress inland by all the means possible; and to provide for us points of security along the coast; as; at Bull's Bay; Georgetown; and the mouth of Cape Fear River。 Still; it was extremely desirable in one march to reach Goldsboro' in the State of North Carolina (distant four hundred and twenty…five miles); a point of great convenience for ulterior operations; by reason of the two railroads which meet there; coming from the seacoast at Wilmington and Newbern。 Before leaving Savannah I had sent to Newbern Colonel W。 W。 Wright; of the Engineers; with orders to look to these railroads; to collect rolling…stock; and to have the roads repaired out as far as possible in six weeksthe time estimated as necessary for us to march that distance。
The question of supplies remained still the one of vital importance; and I reasoned that we might safely rely on the country for a considerable quantity of forage and provisions; and that; if the worst came to the worst; we could live several months on the mules and horses of our trains。 Nevertheless; time was equally material; and the moment I heard that General Slocum had finished his pontoon…bridge at Sister's Ferry